Aberdeen CEO eyes 4 or 5 smaller acquisitions in 2016

Reuters Staff

2 Min Read

LONDON, Nov 16 (Reuters) - Aberdeen Asset Management is likely to make four or five smaller acquisitions in 2016, its chief executive said on Monday, once a downturn in its key Asian and emerging markets ends.

The firm's shares have slid 25 percent since the start of the year, hit by investor aversion to emerging markets amid concerns over global growth and the impact of an impending rise in U.S. interest rates.

Aberdeen has subsequently refuted claims it was looking for a buyer and instead CEO Martin Gilbert said he was planning more acquisitions, as the firm looks to diversify its operations further after a string of deals earlier this year.

"We will probably make another four or five similar acquisitions next year but the main thing we will do is wait for the downturn in Asia to end - and it will," Gilbert said. "We will weather the storm and come out better the other end."

Ahead of its results on Nov. 30, a spokesman for Aberdeen said the company planned to cut some back-office staff, but would not reduce the number of investment managers. (Reporting by Simon Jessop; editing by Carolyn Cohn)